May 2009

May 2009 has been a month of little sunshine with a general cool feel to it, plants therefore have been slow to come on.

Once any plant gets it’s nose through the ground it really does need heat and sunshine to bring it on. These have been lacking this year with the result that many plants are a bit behind and some have hardly even bothered to stir. But they will and they will catch up once the warmth arrives which ,surely, must be soon. Despite many plants being late meconopsis,allium,fritillary,trollius and various primulas can all be seen in full flower around the various sections of the garden. The Laburnum,which was poor last year, is in glorious colour in several places around the grounds and the copper beech have also put on a tremendous show of colour.
We have always had problems at the top of the main steps with two small borders either side of the stairway. Bedding plants got trampled, larger plants got blown over so when Virginia took a look(she is standing in for Kenny whilst he is away) she decided on compact heathers. Her design is in the fashion of a tweed and has been much admired. The varieties of heather all show up in different lights and it looks as if yet another area of the garden has finally found it’s destiny.

Perhaps the biggest project this last month has been replacing the fountain. We had intended to repair the leaking old feature but it became obvious that it was too far gone. Malky and his boys got to work and in no time a new fountain was built and a Victorian, cast iron, three-bowl centre was purchased. It's a more gentle fountain compared to the old one and if you stand close to it....it speaks to you gently, honestly it does!

Kenny is over his operation successfully. Not yet skipping about on the lawns but well on the way to full health and all of us at the Palace look forward to having him back in late July to once again join in the care and development of these lovely grounds. Innes

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